expedition to the ivory cave.

She tried to go away when Tulio started to approach her, but her body didn't want to go as fast as she wanted, and soon he was by her side, wrapping her with an harm, supporting and blocking her in the meantime
"Let me go..." she whispered weakly trying still weakly to wriggle, without even looking at him in the eyes.
It was too much for her, just too much... she had lived for a lifetime with the idea that being descovered would have killed her, she had lived in fear, fearing the day that she would have been exposed to the truth, probably in the army, probably dying there because of it. It would have been painful and shameful, she had always thought it, it had been thought to her and now... now it was real... probably because of Eris... she mentally cursed the day she didn't die in the ship's accident, the day she arrived in that damned island... it had changed everything! She had started to experiment so many new emotions... expecially the most horrible ones...
she was used to leave for her coutry, her army, her family and her father... never for herself... she had never been happy before, but in the same time, she had never known what real sadness was...

Rose smiled softly. She than heard somebody rip something, to her surprise it was Tulio. He did not even notice her..
Than he ran towards Ping..his hand around her waist... Enough, just enough.
She clenched her teeth. As she pulled off the flower ring. Throwing it to the ground fastly and stepping on it.
Unnoticed. She looked back at John. Smiling weakly.
Clearing her throat. "How are you?" She laid a hand on his shoulder. Looking at Meg and the other woman.
Giving them a small nod. She felt her body just have this coldness. Whatever she tried. She was losing him.
Did he even care about her?

"Go where?" It was a good question, Tulio didn't even know where they were, or why they were all there, but it seemed unimportant now. There was more important things he had to help her through first.
Lowering his voice, so that only Ping could hear him, he whispered a few words, his head close to hers.
"Listen to me Ping, whoever put that poster up, did it to hurt you. If you act like this, they win, do you hear me?"
He reached out and pulled the hairband away, letting her hair fall down her shoulder, revealing her true, female beauty. Revealing who Ping really was. The beautiful woman that lied beneath.
"You turn around, and smile, you hear me? If you do that, you will win. You will beat them. Make your weakness your strength and they can never hurt you with it. Be proud of who you are.. because I am."

Finishing packing away her things, she stopped for a moment moment to curse softly as she scrambled around for her necklace quickly putting it on before she went back to the perch and moved out of the cave through the hole at the side away from the others. Annoyed that her home was being disturbed... but there was little she could do about it for now, slipping down the rocks to land on the ground. She just blitzed for the woods quickly hoping to seek cover there before she was spotted in the open.

John smiled further when he felt Briar's hand, however his new enhanced senses meant he tuned his head slightly at hearing Briar's swift movements, he decided it was best to look as though he had not seen her. After all, if she had wanted him to notice, she would've made it more obvious. Instead, he searched for Tulio to see what could've made her so angry, he saw he had his arm around another woman... could that be Ping? He wondered, overhearing their conversation slightly, he realised his suspicions were correct. For the moment, it was best to pretend his senses had not worked all this out, Briar didn't seem the type to be so open about her feelings. Instead, in a friendly, comforting way, he put his arm gently around her waist, giving her hip a slight playful squeeze in hopes of making her feel better. "I'm alright Briar, but are you?" His face looked concerned.

Isa smiled embarrassed at the blonde woman's nod.. She was still insecure of what to do so she stood quiet trying to ignore the last thing that the blonde did probably sure to not be seen..

Rose looked at John, "no.." She whispered really softly, only able for him to hear. She than looked to another side.
"I'm glad you are alright, I'm fine." She lied convincing the other, smiling softly at the others.
Looking away again. John's comfort was nice.. As if he just read.. Ofcourse he could hear them..
She would not look over her shoulder. She just wouldn't.

John simply squeezed her side a little harder, to show her he was there for her. At that moment, he didn't know what more he could do. He wanted to be close to her, to hold her, to call her his and protect her from hurt... but he couldn't. She was Tulio's, he would not overstep that boundary. Not unless she wanted him to. He was Briar's, heart and soul, he wasn't sure if that was because of his bond to Eris... or more than that, but nonetheless, he was.

She didn't know where to go, she just wanted to run away, to never face another human being again, to disappear...
But Tulio didn't allow her, and he talked her kindly, supporting her, comforting her...
When he pulled away the hairband she was shaked by a chill, and finally looked at him, in his eyes, listening his words.
She bit hardly her lips to not cry, even if her eyes were shining now, and not only because of the fever.
But he was there, he was there for her. Oh, she needed so much this... those words...
After a few seconds she nodded, still biting her lips, but then she tightened her hand to his arm "Just... just give me a minute..." she whispered back.
She was still too shocked, she needed at least a moment to recover... she slowly closed her eyes and bended her head, resting it on Tulio's chest, still tightening his arm with a hand.
"I'm tired to pretend i'm strong... i'm not... i've never been..." she whispered in a really low tone, just speaking truth: she had pretended for a lifetime, she had always acted like she was a brave, honorable man, but she had always felt just... weak... despite what her father wanted from her... but she was, she couldn't help... she was weak...

Tulio smiled at her, but pulled her a little away from him.
"You're just as strong as you want to be," he said, meaning it. If you wanted to be strong, you would make yourself be.
"You need to do this on your own, but I know you can do it.. I'll be behind you every second.." he said as he brushed her cheek. It felt so weird to touch her now that he knew she was a woman, and he quickly removed his hand.
"Just remember to smile," he said with a small laugh as he took a couple of steps away from her.
He looked around to find Rose, and he found her in the arms of another man. The man from earlier.
It pained him to see her like that, but he had learned he must trust her. He had to. He knew they were only friends.

She felt a bit hurted when he pulled her away... he wouldn't have done it, if he had still thought she was a male... but it was late to complain, she simply nodded at his words, grateful that he was still by her side, and when he walked away she managed to smile lightely at him, even if now, without him there, she felt suddenly unprotected, like naked in front of everyone, and the discomfort grew even more thinking that now she didn't even have anymore with her the hairband. It was inly a light protection, to still have a male's look even if now everybody knew she wasn't... but was still a protection... she didn't ran away, but she didn't even have the strenght to come back to the group.

Jane sighed as Shan Yu left her and looked around. There were a lot of people awaken now. Her view fell on Ping who was standing all alone. Jane bit her lip and tried to calm down. Not from yelling at Ping, from starting to cry, because she didn't trust her. She took a deep breath and walked to her. "H-hi...", Jane sat down on a rock next to Ping. Waiting. For something. Anything.

She actually tried to smile until, she did, until she noticed Jane approaching her: she couldn't help but mentally panic, whilde the girl reached her. When she stopped next to her, greeting her, her smile was already disappeared, and instead she was looking at Jane with a worried expression: was she mad at her? What was she thinking? "h-he... hello..." she said back, just looking at her with the expression of an hunted animal

Jane looked at her hands. "How are you?", she asked softly. She felt numb. It was different like before. Though she wished that it would be the same again. That Ping would yell at her for doing stupid things. Jane was afraid to look her in the eyes. Her hand stroke through her hair.

Ping looked at her, just like she was still waiting for a worse reaction. At her question she opened her mouth but didn't know what to say... in the end she simply shrugged, and, in a low tone, asked to her "...y-you?

"Good.", she answered in a low voice. Jane didn't know what to ask more. She didn't judge Ping. How could she? Being judged herself most of her life? "Why?", the word slipped out of her mouth before she could even think about it. Just this word with an emotionless voice. This emptiness inside her was killing her.

"w-what...?" she asked unsure, like she didn't get the question. Actually... it was probably too difficult to answer... she knew what was about, what she was starting to ask, but she didn't know what to reply to a so generic question

Tulio wanted so desperatly to leave Ping alone, to let her do what she needed to do on her own. But he could not stand there doing nothing when he saw how terrified Ping looked and heard her constant stuttering.
Quickly he moved up beside her, and nudged her playfully with a childish grin on his face hoping to break the tension.
"Beautiful isn't she?" he laughed as he looked between Ping and Jane.
"Who would have known all it took was to let down her hair?"

Jane glared at Tulio who suddenly jumped into their conversation. For some reason she felt like she wanted to kill him now. "Uh yes.", she answered coldly. "But it would be nice if you could leave us alone for a moment. Or I'm going.", she stood up.

When Tulio reached her again, telling Jane that she was beautiful she couldn't help but blush hardly and look at him with a friendly-angry glance. She wasn't actually mad at him, she was simply happy he cared for her in his own weird way, but she couldn't help but being seriously embarassed. When then Jane alluded to leave, she looked at her and in a low, shy tone she simply whispered "P-please Jane... d-d-don't le-leave..."

Tulio threw his hands up in defence, letting her know he meant no harm.
"Jane, I don't remember us leaving on bad terms," he said softly with a charming smile. Sure, he had been put off for her love to Shan Yu, but no spiteful words had ever been said between them. They had left on good terms, according to him.
He looked between Ping and Jane, unsure if there might be history between them. Maybe he'd interrupted a bad, personal moment. Still, he felt no need to be rude. He could not see what he had done to deserve her words.

Jane sighed and put her face in her hands, sitting down again. This was too much for her already. "I'm sorry.", she mumbled. That wasn't herself. This place was changing her more than she wanted. "I just want to know why.", she finally said quietly, wrapping her arms around her body.

At Jane's words she bit again hardly her lips, and then, stuttering tense, she replied "I-it's a lo-long... l-long story..." what has she to reply to her? She had tried once to explain it to Tulio and she still wasn't sure that she had make Tulio understand... it was just difficult to explain...

He shrugged, showing he hadn't taken any offence by Jane's words, but it quickly became obvious there was something between them. Something Ping hadn't told him about. It hurt him a little, but it had been expected. Of course he wouldn't tell him everything anymore, not now that she was a girl...
He nudged Ping slightly, not even noticably to Jane, to remind her not to stutter so much. To smile. Like he had told her to.
Be strong, he thought, hoping some of his thoughts could reach Ping somehow.
"Ping's father wanted a son.. so Ping was brought up as one, never being allowed to be a female," he shrugged as if it was no big deal. If Ping wouldn't tell her himself, he might as well. It wasn't as complicated as she made it sound.
"Crazy world," he laughed to ease the tention.

Jane listened silently to Ping's and then Tulio's words. One day she would shot him down. She knew that, although she really liked him. Maybe. Jane sighed. She still was silent. "Crazy world...", she finally repeated quietly. Jane lifted her head and now looked into Ping's eyes. She knew hers were empty. Like she felt inside. The lake... What she felt... Jane didn't love Ping. Not as man. Not as woman. As her brother. Sister. Whatever now. Jane pressed her knees at her body.